Liberal movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has been fired from his production company after he was the subject of a New York Times article explaining how his company paid off multiple women accusing him of sexual harassment. The ugly details are causing Democrats embarrassment. Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico are giving past Weinstein donations to charity.
And the details are certainly ugly. The New York Times is reporting Weinstein once showered in front of Ashley Judd while the Huffington Post reported an incident where Weinstein masturbated in front of a former television anchor in the back of a restaurant. Some women who were Weinstein’s victims are famous like actress Rose McGowan, others will not be. More allegations are sure to follow.
As national Democrats are already running from their past associations with Weinstein, Variety is reporting Weinstein has given “$1.4 million in total to federal candidates, parties, and political action committees since 1990.” (That doesn’t include, of course, producing Fahrenheit 9/11 and the unreleased Fahrenheit 11/9 for Michael Moore.)
A quick search over at the Center for Responsive Politics finds Weinstein has given $5,000 to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. (They have the same donation listed twice.) Because it’s such a famous case, Wisconsin’s Democratic Party have pledged to give the donation to “in-state groups that help women who are survivors of sexual harassment and abuse.”
We’re surprised Wisconsin Democrats had the sense of shame required to give the money back. However, while they responded to the scrutiny of a high-profile national scandal, Democrats failed to show similar character and judgment when they chose a new leader for Assembly Democrats. They unanimously chose to elevate state Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, to the minority leadership position despite Hintz once threatening a female legislator and getting caught in a prostitution sting.
Perhaps Hintz’s contempt for women wasn’t public enough for the Democrats to be embarrassed. Maybe if he had threatened a Hollywood actress instead of a fellow legislator, or if he had offered a country music star money for sex, the reaction of the Democrats would be different. Apparently only famous women matter to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.
The New York Times editorial board notes, “There has been no comment from Mr. Obama or Mrs. Clinton, who condemned Donald Trump for boasting of sexual assault on the ‘Access Hollywood’ tape.”
“These Democratic leaders, admired by many young women and men, should make clear that Mr. Weinstein also deserves condemnation,” the Times writes. “If such powerful leaders take the money and stay mum, who will speak for women like Mr. Weinstein’s accusers?”
That is a good question for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, too.
